Thread severing apparatus



11111629, 1948. T. WEBER, SR; El AL 2,444,079

I THREAD SEVERI NG APPARATUS Filed March 14, 1946 INVENTORS.

THEODORE WEBER JR. BY

THEODORE WEBER SR. AND

Patented June 29, 1948 THREAD SEVERINGAPPARATUS Theodore Weber, Sn, and Theodore Weber, J r.,

.Cliflside Park, N. J.

Application March 14, 1946, Serial No. 654,407

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in thread severing apparatus and is particularly directed to apparatus for severing connecting threads or loops of embroidered fabric.

The faces of embroidered fabrics, after the'designs are embroidered, have threads forming loops which extend between the embroidered designs. It is necessary that these threads be severed in the finished products. The usual method of severing these threads or loops, whether by hand or; by machine, is to provide a pick-up element and a cutting element, which may be integral with each other or not. These elements move relative to the fabric as one unit, the pick-up element engaging the loop and causing the loop to passonto the cutting element, the loop being parted when engaged by the cutting element, assisted by the tension in the loop caused by an inclination of the cutting element which expands the loop to its limit. In other words, the pickp ndcutting element employed in prior practice is inclined, so that as it continues its travel after engagement with a loop, it tends to expand the loop beyond its limit whereby the resulting tension will cause the loop to be parted. This tension becomes excessive when the embroidery is of a delicate nature, when. the loops are formed of heavy thread, or when the cutting elements become dull, or when any combination of these conditions exists.

One of the objects of the present invention resides in the provision of an apparatus whereby 4 the loops can readily be severed, with increased speed, and with a minimum of pull on the embroidery.

Another object of the present invention resides in'the provision of apparatus of the char acter indicated which will effectively prevent loops from passing the cutting elements unsevered.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of an apparatus having cutting means which requires less cutting elements, which elements retain the effective cutting edges for a relatively longer period than those at present in use, and which elements can more readily be sharpened than those heretofore employed.

A still further object of the present invention resides in a novel arrangement of the pick-up and thread guiding elements which assure the threads being properly guided to the cutting elements.

A still further object resides in the provision of meansfor moving the pick-up elements and the cutting elements at different relative speeds whereby more effectively to sever the loops.

. Other andfurther objects of the present invention will be manifest from the following description and the accompanying drawing, wherein one embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

Briefly, the present invention provides an apparatus employing circular knives as cutting elements, and means for rotating the cutting elements and pick-up elements independently, the cutting elements being rotated at a speedhigh enough to require no appreciable tension in the loops to sever them when they are caused to touch the periphery of the cutting element, even though the loops be formed of heavy thread and/or the cutting elements be slightly dull.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevational view of a machine, partly in section, made in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and i Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view partly inseotion of a thread pick up element and a cutting element in their respective operative positions, looking in the general direction of the arrow 3 on Fig. 2. l

Referring to the drawing in detail a support It] is provided for a pair of rollers l2 and I4, which are spaced one above the other, and overwhich embroidered fabric Hi is moved in the direction of the arrow 84 by any suitable means.

The support H] has a projecting lug l8 carrying a pivot 20 which serves as a fulcrum for a movable frame 22 comprising a pair of standards 24 and 26 connected to each other at their lower ends. bya

longitudinally extending rod 28. The standard 24 supports a hub 30 at one side of the machine in anti-friction bearing members 34.

The hub 30 has an integral pulley 33 over which a drive belt 40 passes, which belt is driven from pulley 42 keyed to a motor shaft 44 of' a motor (not shown) or from any other suitable source of motive power.

A hub 32 is supported at theo'ther side of the machine on anti-friction bearing members 35 on shaft A cylindrical shell 43 made of twosectlons 5t and 5'2 is secured to the hubs 30 and 32 by means of screws 54, whereby to be supported by and rotate-d with the hubs. i

The shaft 60 extends through the center of the shell 48 and is supported thereon in anti-friction bearing members 62 and 64 at one side and antifr-iction bearing members 65 at the other side. The shaft 60 is provided with a pulley E8 atone end thereof over which a drive belt 10 passes,

which belt is driven from pulley 43 having the same diameter as that of the pulley 42 driving belt 40.

It will be seen from Fig. 1 that the pulley 68 is smaller in diameter than the pulley 38 whereby the shaft 60 will be driven at a greater speed than the shell 48. The purpose of these relative speeds will be more fully described hereinafter.

The shaft; 61] carries a pluralityotcutter discs 12 keyed th'eretoin"predetermined spaced relation. The periphery of each of these discs is sharpened to provide a cutting edge. The shell 48 comprises a plurality of sets of integral thread catching or pick-upfingers'fljthe fingers of each set being ispaced" equidistant around the periphery of the shell as shown-in Fig. 2. The sets of these fingers are spaced equidistant along the length of the 'shell's'o as topr'ovide a set for each cutter disc as shown'in Fig. 1.

The fingers are each "provided with side flanges 16 inte ra :wi hfihe. s el and. Wh P d tr es-ins; Q th :p i he rvqfih t r, sc by the fingers. Theleading e'dges of the flanges '16 ex- ;tend substantially in the general direction of rota i n-end r ...inl n r r e y, qw d t in combination, means for advancing a web of material having looped threads thereon, a shaft "exten'ding transversely of the material in spaced shell whereby when athre'ad loop is engaged by a fin e em i direct d il g he edges t ng -l6ri en a ement w t th p he y of the cutter disc. The free end of each of the fingers beyond the side flanges is preferablyrounded or semi-circular informwhereby to ssure; proper engagementof the-threads. Each of these fingers project in the general direction of rotation of the shell.

A handle or lever as is rigidly secured to the standard 26 whereby the operator may move the thread pick-up and cutting elements into operative relation to the embroidered fabric.

In operation, the embroidered fabric I6 is first placed on the rollers l2 and l 4 in a taut condition with its face, containing loops or threads 82, facing the thread pick-up and cutting elements. The drive mechanism for the supporting rollers 32 and i4 and the driving means for the shaft 44 are then set in operation to move the fabric in the direction of arrow 84 (Fig. 2) and the pick-up and cutting elements in the same direction, as indicated by arrows 8B and 88. The operator then moves the handle 80 in the direction to bring the pick-up and cutting elements into juxtaposition to the fabric, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby the fingers l4 will be in position to engage the threads or loops 82. As the fingers engage the loops, the threads travel along the finger, thence into engagement with the periphery of the discs 12 and are severed thereby.

It will be appreciated that by having the cutter travel at a greater speed than the pick-up fingers, the instant the threadsengage the periphery of the discs they are severed with a clean cut without any appreciable tension being applied to the threads and without any pulling of thethreads andconsequent injury to the fabric.

It will be appreciated also that by employing rotary disc cutters rotating at different relative speeds with respect to the pick-up fingers, the cutting edges retain their effectiveness for longer periods than cutters as heretofore employed. In other words in prior apparatusof this character the same point on the cutting edge adjacent each finger will be engaged by the thread during each cutting operation of threads picked up by that finger, resulting in continuous wear on the cutting edge at those points. On the other hand, with the apparatus of the present invention the relation thereto, aplurality of cutter discs mounted on said shaft in'predetermined spaced relation, a shell disposed about said discs and carrying a plurality of pick-up fingers for each cutter disc, said fingersextending beyond the periphery of their respectivecutter discs and provided with flanges for guiding the'loopedthreads picked up by the said 'fing'ersint'o engagement with the periphery of the cutterdiscs, and means for-rotating said shaft and revolving saidshell at differ- .ent. relativeperipheral speeds, whereby the threads will be severed at different points on the cutter discs. I i i 2. .Apparatusof the class described comprising incombination, meansforiadvancing' a1 web of material having .loopedthreads thereon, a shaft extending transversely of the material .in. spaced relation thereto, a plurality of cutter discs mounted on said shaft in predetermined spaced relation, a sectional shell disposed about said cutter discs and having a plurality of pick-up fingers for each cutter disc, bearing means for said shell, and means for rotating said shaft to rotate the discs and for revolving said shell in its bearing members at different relative peripheral speeds in the direction of travel of the material but at a diiierent relative speed.

3. Apparatus for severing thread loops comprising in combination, means for advancing a web of material having looped threads, a standard supported adjacent said advancing means, bearing members carried by said standard, a shaft rotatably mounted on said bearing members, a plurality of cutter discs keyed to said'shaftfsecond bearing members carried by said standard, a tubular member carried by said second bearing members, a series of fingers for each cutter disc carried by said tubular membensaid fingers each having a substantially fiat portion at its leading edge for entry between the threads and the material, guiding members carried by said fingers substantially at right angles to said fiat portion and extending on either side of the periphery of their respective cutter discs for guiding the threads engaged by said fingers into engagement with the periphery of the cutter discs", and means for driving said fingers and discs in'the same direction but at different relative peripheral speeds.

4. Apparatus for severing thread loops comprising in combination, means for advancing a web of material having looped threads, a standard supported adjacent said advancing means, bearing members carried by said standard, a shaft rotatably mounted on said bearing members, a plurality of cutter discs keyed to said shat-t, second bearing members carried by said standard, a tubular member carried by said second bearing members, a series of fingers for each cutter disc carried bysaid tubular member; said finger each having a substantially flat portion at its leading edge for entry between the threads and the material, guiding members carried by said fingers substantially at right angles to said flat portion and extending on either side of the periphery of their respective cutter discs, the said guiding members being inclined toward the cutter discs whereby the threads guided thereby will be guided evenly and positively into engagement with the periphery of the discs, means for rotating said fingers and discs in the same direction but at different relative peripheral speeds, and means for moving said standard toward said material whereby to permit said fingers to engage the threads.

THEODORE W'EBER, SR. THEODORE WEBER, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

5 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,757,536 Mason May 6, 1930 1,860,528 Buesser May 31, 1932 10 1,968,688 Katz et a1 July 31, 1934 2,099,461 Bernstein Nov. 16, 1937 2,347,603 Lucia Apr. 25, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,983 Great Britain 1880 748,100 France June 28, 1933 

